Missing Peshawar Rural SP ‘murdered in Afghanistan’: reports

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–Interior minister refuses to comment over police official’s alleged killing, terms incident as ‘sensitive’

–KP police chief says official statement to be issued following confirmation by Afghan authorities

 

A senior officer of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Police, who had mysteriously gone missing from Islamabad, has allegedly been murdered in Afghanistan, according to media reports.

On October 26, Peshawar Rural Superintendent of Police (SP) Mohammad Tahir Dawar had arrived in the federal capital on short leave. His cell phone had been switched off at around 8pm and there had been no clue about him since after.

Two weeks later, Tahir Dawar’s postmortem photographs went viral on social media.

According to reports, Minister of State for Interior Shehryar Afridi has refused to comment over the police official’s alleged death in the neighbouring country and termed the incident as “sensitive”.

However, he has said that photoshopped images are shared over the internet to spread fake news. “A fifth generation cyberwar has been imposed on us,” he added.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Inspector General (IG) Salahuddin Mehsud, on the other hand, said they are in touch with the Afghan government through departments concerned.

“It is not possible to confirm the veracity of these reports at present, however, an official statement will be issued in case of its confirmation,” he said.

Meanwhile, National Assembly Member from Waziristan Mohsin Dawar has expressed shock over the alleged murder of the police official.

“Shocked to hear that the abducted SP Rural Tahir Dawar, has been murdered. Explaining this in the same old ‘good’ and ‘bad’ Taliban drama will not work anymore. The State of Pakistan is responsible for his martyrdom and we demand answers. His abductors have to be made answerable,” he said in a statement on his Twitter handle.

Tahir Dawar, who belongs to North Waziristan, was posted as the Rural SP in Peshawar a couple of months back. Before that, he had served as Faqirabad DSP. He also served in the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) and was posted at the Peshawar international airport for some time.

Known as a vocal police officer, Tahir Dawar had faced two suicide attacks in Bannu in the past when militancy was at its peak. He had sustained injuries in both the incidents.